Gold Run: The Rescue of Norway’s Gold Bullion from the Nazis, 1940

by Pearson, Robert

  On Thursday, 25th April, the working party went on strike for pay, but I arranged with the Norwegian Naval Authorities that they should be paid by the week every Saturday, and furthermore that Mr Hustmark should be given official standing of some description; thus the difficulty was overcome.

  That same afternoon the town was bombed and one house started to burn furiously. An efficient water supply was at this time available and the fire was prevented from spreading to the next house by the untiring effort of the working party and the local fire brigade. This house was a sort of general store and contained cloth goods and bicycle tyres. I told the working party to get what they could out of the house to prevent it catching fire, and one young man offered me a warm bag containing 100 number 6 sporting cartridges. I was glad to see them thrown in to the sea. One young man, who with sublime contempt for the enemy continued to man the hose whilst the street was subjected to machine gun fire, was some minutes later instantly killed by the side of the house collapsing outwards into the street. Although the house was of wood and we were able to lift the side up almost at once it was obvious that nothing further could be done.

  Meanwhile, Haslund had been busy. Arrangements had been put in place for an assistant and liaison officer to be taken on to help him after Andreas Lund and Julius Pettersen had been relieved of their duties on April 21st. The two bankers had been advised to make contact with their banks again and early that morning the duo began preparations to return home. Their journey back was treacherous and not without incident. The train the men were travelling in reached Dombås around midday, but an air raid was in progress. The travellers ran for the shelter of the tunnel, but just as they entered it there was a direct hit on the station. Lund was sent flying by the blast; but the gentleman beside him was killed. Passengers screamed and cried; dust and debris filled the tunnel. It had been a close run thing for the bankers and their two accompanying drivers, Kristiansen and Schou. In the early hours of the following morning, totally exhausted, Lund, Pettersen, and the two drivers finally reached their respective families.

  Dombås Railway Station prior to the invasion. The photo is taken atop of the tunnel.

  Dombås Railway Station after it had been bombed.

  The tunnel at Dombås; little has changed since the dark days of 1940. Photo credit: author.

  With Lund gone, the man now sought out to assist Haslund was Kristian Gleditsch, his brother-in-law. Gleditsch’s wife, Nini, also joined him. Gleditsch was a geographical engineer prior to the invasion and had been appointed to the Head of Information Office by General Ruge when the Germans invaded and so was considered reliable and a safe pair of hands.96

  Whilst in Åndalsnes, the Gleditsch’s took refuge in the Grand Hotel, Bellevue, a magnificent 19th century wooden building with a distinctive tower. It was here that the Gleditschs met up with Lieutenant Martin Linge, an officer who would later feature prominently in Norwegian history.97 General Ruge was also at the hotel along with senior Norwegian and British officers working out various plans and strategies. Kristian and Nini Gleditsch soon got to work by helping to produce a Norwegian/English newspaper, titled the ‘Åndalsnes Avis’. The edition coincided with British soldiers landing at Åndalsnes and soon sold out. Meanwhile, Norwegian ministers Torp, Frihagen, Lie and Ljunberg met to decide whether it was safe for the King and government to move to Romsdalen; their discussions must have been serious, sombre and sullen.

  The situation in Åndalsnes was deteriorating fast. The British forces command, fearing for their own safety, moved out of their hotel. The Gleditsch’s managed to secure a car, which they shared with Martin Linge – later to achieve fame as head of Norwegian special forces – journeying to Romsdalhorn. Meanwhile, the British forces command installed themselves at a farmhouse outside the centre of Åndalsnes and Nini Gleditsch managed to establish contact with them before they evacuated themselves to Romsdalhorn.

  For the Gleditsch’s the situation was really no better at Romsdalhorn. The Germans continued to bomb railway lines knowing full well it would halt the advance of the British. They literally were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

  Did the Germans know that the Norwegian gold bullion was there? The answer in short was no. If they had known then surely a different approach would have been taken. Germany was desperate for gold and it would have made no sense to attempt to bomb it into oblivion.98

  At Romsdalhorn there was a surprise waiting for the Gleditsch’s in the form of Nordahl Grieg. Their last meeting was in Spain when Grieg was fighting with the International Brigade against General Franco’s forces in the Spanish Civil War. The three friends, who regarded each other like close family, joked and swapped stories of their experiences of the invasion and subsequent battles.99

  Meanwhile, at Romsdalhorn Station, the soldiers continued to guard the gold. The engine had been released for other duties; there was a dire need for transport to and from Åndalsnes and it was a case of priorities. Haslund’s determination to move the gold was undimmed though. He took advantage of Nordahl Grieg’s knowledge of English and tasked him with the duties as a liaison officer. Communication with the British was absolutely essential and Grieg was the ideal man for the job, in fact it was Grieg who ensured that the telephone link with the British was firmly established after he had visited the emergency telephone exchange at a small place called Hagan, just outside Åndalsnes.

  During interview, Ove Voldsrud spoke very highly of Nordahl Grieg and was glowing in his praise for the manner in which Grieg dealt with people from all ranks and upbringings. Ove described Grieg as a honourable man who could make you feel completely at ease whatever your status in life. Praise indeed.

  Ove also recounted a story, almost as an afterthought, about an incident, which appears to have never been formally recorded by officials and historians, although a similar story appears in Dorothy Baden-Powell’s book, ‘Pimpernel Gold’, albeit more dramatic. Ove stated that whilst they were at Romsdalhorn Station a stranger appeared. The man, purportedly a Norwegian, was dressed in a windcheater jacket, which Ove thought at the time was strange. He noted that the man was wearing a patriotic Norwegian armband and appeared to have something concealed under his jacket. The man initially just stood and watched what was going on from a distance. He quietly disappeared but then returned twice more, attempting at one point to strike up a conversation with Ove, who ignored him. On the third occasion the man was arrested and taken away. However, Ove says that a battery like object was removed from the man before he was hauled off. Subsequent investigations have proved fruitless despite extensive searching of official records. It is possible that the man who was arrested was just curious to what was happening at the station and that after his ‘arrest’ he was released without charge. However, in Baden-Powell’s book, ‘Pimpernel Gold’ she makes reference to a spy in the Romsdalhorn area attempting to make contact with a lone German Luftwaffe aircraft, but was caught in the act by loyal Norwegian soldiers and shot dead. Are the stories linked? Possibly, but one must be cautious about spy stories and the urge to draw hasty conclusions. What is clear is that some sort of incident happened and perhaps the truth will emerge in the future. Author’s note: an expert from the Royal Corp of Signals stated that at the time the Germans had the technology to communicate from ground level to aircraft above, but that the aircraft would need to be very close to the radio operator or directly overhead. In the mountainous region of Romsdalen the aircraft would almost certainly need to be overhead before a signal could be sent or received.

  Ove Voldsrud pictured on duty at Horten in 1926. Picture credit: Voldsrud family.

  On April 24th there was a temporary lull in the bombing. Under cover of darkness Haslund ordered the gold train down into Åndalsnes and onto the quay. The British cruiser, HMS Galatea, commanded by Captain Schofield RN, had docked and was disgorging British soldiers and equipment.100

  Time was of the essence and without hesitation the Norwegian soldiers, including Ove Voldsrud, toiled har
d loading 200 boxes of gold from truck No 8138 onto the deck of HMS Galatea. The loading was anything but easy, but the soldiers stuck to their job. Box by box, barrel by barrel they completed the task. Major Sunde took up a post of patrolling the area with an unnamed British officer, whilst Haslund oversaw the loading of the gold.

  With the fast approaching dawn heralding the imminent return of the bombers, the order was given to cast off and Galatea slipped her moorings and made her way down the fjord and into the open sea. Forever in the true traditions of accountancy, Galatea’s Paymaster Commander signed for the gold consignment. The captain then gave the order to set a course for Rosyth, Scotland. On board Galatea were Norwegian officials tasked to ensure that Norwegian interests were met in England and that the gold be safely transferred to the Bank of England.101 When the first consignment of the bullion was at sea the Military Branch of the Admiralty thought it wise to let the Bank of England in on the story.102

  Military Branch

  Admiralty

  SW1

  25th April 1940

  SECRET

  Dear Waley,

  You will probably wish to know about Norwegian gold so far as we know the story.

  A telegram was received from a naval authority in Norway on 20th April saying that the Norwegian Government had asked for 50 tons of gold to be shipped to England, to be sent over in three lots.

  We heard last night that 16 tons was on its way, and I arranged with Bolton of the Bank of England that is should be turned over to the Royal Bank of Scotland at Edinburgh on arrival. This was done this afternoon and I believe it is now en route to London.

  We can’t tell yet when and how the remainder will arrive but I will let Bolton know as soon as news is received.

  Yours sincerely,

  P H Jones (for S Gilmour)

  S.D.Waley, Esq., C.B., M.C.,

  H.M.Treasury,

  S.W.1.

  Romsdalhorn Railway Station. Picture credit: author.

  Haslund felt somewhat relieved to see the cruiser sail away with the boxes of gold, but the job was only partly complete. It was hoped that other warships would come in to collect the remainder of the gold, but these hopes were soon dashed as the intensity of the bombing increased. Haslund knew that the gold could not wait at Åndalsnes as he had received a message from General Ruge, the commanding general of Norwegian forces, stating that the Germans were close to breaking through. His thoughts turned to Molde, a small town and port only a short distance away, which had not yet received the full attention of the Luftwaffe. The beauty of the snow-covered mountains caught Haslund’s attention for a few seconds as he ‘glimpsed the jewel-like encrusted peaks shimmering in the transparent spring night.’ The Germans, though, had no such poetic thoughts and within a few days they had laid waste to Åndalsnes, the quay and the rail lines despite the very best efforts of the Norwegians to repair the infrastructure between bombing raids. The first shipment had left just in time.

  Åndalsnes in Flames. Picture credit: Tor Christian Jevanord

  8

  HMS Galatea

  The British cruiser HMS Galatea was the first to be assigned the mission of embarking the Norwegian gold bullion. Designed and constructed in the Arethusa Class, she was laid down at Scotts Yard in June 1933, launched in August 1934 and completed in August 1935. She displaced 5,220 tons and was armed with six 6-inch guns in twin turrets with a secondary armament of four single 4-inch guns, although twin 4-inch guns replaced these prior to the start of war. Two triple banks of 21-inch torpedo tubes and two quadruple .5-inch machine guns completed the armament for the cruiser. An aircraft catapult was fitted to the ship and an Osprey seaplane issued, but by the time of the Norwegian Campaign this had been replaced by a two-seater reconnaissance Fairey Seafox.

  HMS Galatea (1937) PA Vicary.

  As part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, HMS Galatea, along with HMS Arethusa and 11 destroyers, left Rosyth on April 8th to take up positions some 80 miles off the coast of Stavanger. Ronald ‘Peddlar’ Palmer RN was an experienced Petty Officer and was certainly well qualified to handle whatever challenges the Admiralty had in store for HMS Galatea.103 The following is an abridged account taken from a statement kindly given by Ronald’s family. His words are classically understated, but nonetheless poignant:

  Reinforcements were sent from home to bring ships up to their full war complement. Most of these replacements were Royal Naval Volunteers, those weekend sailors who during those dark years proved their worth and their courage on so many occasions. In two weeks we were ready for sea again so we went west going up the Irish Sea and on to Scapa Flow to join the fleet there and from then on life was very hectic. We were to spend most of our time at sea during the next months; first, on convoy duty, then on various patrols until 8th April when Germany invaded Norway. During the next month we did two trips to Norway going up a fjord to Åndalsnes taking British troops and their equipment over and a third trip to bring some of them back during the withdrawal. It was a risky business. German aircraft occupied shore bases and seemed to take a liking to us. They would appear two or three times a day, always at meal times. I remember the Chief Torpedo Gunners Mate coming into the mess one teatime, he had just poured himself a cup of tea when the alarm was sounded ‘Enemy aircraft overhead’. He flung his arms into the air and looking up said “can’t you b****’s wait until I’ve finished eating?” Even in danger funny incidents occurred.

  On our third visit we had to go up the fjord by night, embark the troops and get out as quick as we could. Two cruisers had already ‘bought it’ doing the similar run. It was a mad stampede getting the Army on board and during all the chaos the Paymaster sent for me to meet him on deck. He said “we have to get that lot on board” – a pile of small wooden boxes. I said, “but that’s stores Sir – the stores chief should be doing it”. His reply shook me, “that’s not stores its gold! Seven million pounds of it, to be taken to the United Kingdom for safe keeping for the Norwegian Government.” We did a very careful check as it was piled into a cubby hole in the deck structure with both of us doing the same method of ‘fives’ and comparing results later – they were correct. All the time the hustle was progressing getting the troops in.

  At last we were ready to sail again but dawn had arrived. We reached Molde where the fjord widened into a large bay and there were the German planes awaiting us. Fortunately we had a good Captain – his idea was to steer to where the last bomb dropped – nothing hits the same place twice!! More by good luck we were not hit and after a running battle of nearly five hours we got away. We only had eighteen high angle shells left so I was told.

  Copyright 2003: PALMER, Ronald “Peddlar”. Reproduced with kind permission of the Palmer family.

  There is no record in the log book of Galatea detailing even the slightest hint of her special cargo, but on April 24th at 02:30 Galatea unobtrusively slipped her moorings and departed Åndalsnes with 200 boxes of gold bullion; her destination was the safe haven of Rosyth, Scotland. The log records the journey to the UK as uneventful until 17:50 on the 24th when two enemy aircraft attacked Galatea, with no hits recorded. There were no further attacks and on the 26th Galatea docked, securing alongside the north wall. The gold was promptly unloaded and the responsibility was handed over to the Royal Bank of Scotland Inspectors Messrs Small and Sutherland, who escorted it to London on the London, Midland & Southern Railway. Upon arrival in London the Chief Cashier of the Bank of England valued the first consignment at £2 million Pounds Sterling.104

  A document in the Bank of England states the following:

  Bill Of Lading

  -----------------

  Received from Commanding officer, HMS Galatea the following parcels containing Gold Bars and/or Gold Coins:

  200 cases marked N.B.

  All cases and casks of wood with iron hoops and sealed – except for Box No 551 unsealed.

  To be forwarded to the Bank of England for the Norwegian Government in the care of Mr. Øyvind Lorentz
en together with the Norwegian Minister in London.

  On April 24th a message was sent from the Admiralty to the C-in-C Rosyth informing him that the Bank of Scotland would be taking charge of the first consignment on the instructions of the Bank of England. It was signed ‘For the Head of M’. It would appear that Rear Admiral John Godfrey, Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) from the Naval Intelligence Department (NID) and known as ‘M’, was taking a close interest in matters and with his close connections to the Bank of England and Sir Montagu Norman, Governor of the Bank of England, it was understandable. Interestingly, Godfrey’s city ‘connections’ included Sir Edward Peacock, Chairman of Barings Bank, as well as Olaf Hambro, Chairman of Hambros Bank. It was this bank in particular that later played a part in the transport of Norwegian bullion as well as supporting the Norwegians with their merchant marine.105